Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Visalia Gang Members Sentenced to Life for 2019 Murder
ANTHONY SITE PHOTO
By Anthony W. Haddad
Published 9 months ago on
December 10, 2024

Kyle Carranza (left) and Elias De La Hoz were sentenced to life in prison for a 2019 murder on Dec. 4, 2024. (Tulare County SO)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Two 21-year-old gang members were sentenced to life in prison on Dec. 4 for the 2019 murder of a man in Visalia, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday.

Kyle Carranza and Elias De La Hoz were convicted of first-degree murder with special gang allegations in Tulare County Superior Court.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was shot multiple times on June 26, 2019, near his home in Visalia.

Officers responding to the scene discovered that a black Chevy Colorado was involved in the shooting. During a traffic stop in Goshen, De La Hoz fled but was captured by a K-9 officer, court documents stated.

A second suspect escaped, but Carranza was later apprehended in Visalia. He was found with a firearm during a traffic stop by the California Highway Patrol, prosecutors said.

Investigators determined that the crime was gang-related, motivated by the color of the victim’s clothing.

Both Carranza and De La Hoz were 16 at the time of the murder. In 2020, prosecutors successfully argued to move the case to adult court.

On Oct. 11, the two men pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and special gang allegations. Carranza also admitted to the special allegation of personally and intentionally discharging a firearm, causing death.

In a separate case, Carranza faced additional charges after conspiring to smuggle contraband into a jail facility in 2023.

Under California sentencing laws, both men must serve 25 years before becoming eligible for parole.

RELATED TOPICS:

Anthony W. Haddad,
Multimedia Journalist
Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend